What Do I Mean To You?
by RoaringFightingWaters
Summary: Lelouch vi Britannia - the heir of Britannia Incorporated - was sent to Ashford Academy by his father to learn about Suzaku Kururugi - the heir of Kururugi Trade, the Britannia's business rival. Lelouch had to use every cunning possible in order to get some kind of secret about the Kururugi trade. Developing feelings was not part of the plan. (Multiple Ships/Mostly SuzaLulu)
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone~ So uh... This is a story - well a roleplay - between me and one of my old friends! I felt like since it was just sitting in my computer, I really should have just started to share it than anything else.

I really hope that you like it!

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><p>It was easy to recognize new faces in Ashford. Suzaku had been in private school his whole life, and had gone to school with the same group of people. Even after summer, when new schedules disoriented everyone, he could tell when he looked at the boy next to him in world history: he didn't know him, not even in an "I've passed you in the hallway a couple times before" way. Suzaku was popular, with an abundance of friends and admirers, since he was the star athletics student and the heir of The Kururugi Trade (as far as his classmates knew), so it was rare for him to not recognize someone.<p>

He definitely hadn't heard the name "Lelouch" in school, either; he decided when the teacher called roll. He had heard "Britannia," though. His eyebrows rose. His father had been babbling all week about how the head of Britannia Incorporated was moving to Japan. He knew this had to be the owner's son.

When Lelouch sat down after his introduction, Suzaku leaned an inch closer, smiled, and whispered, "Welcome to Ashford. I'm Suzaku."

Lelouch glanced at Suzaku, yet showed no emotional expression towards him. "I know who you are. You're Suzaku Kururugi, son of Genbu Kururugi and heir of the Kururugi Trade, correct?"

In honesty, Lelouch had no idea why he was in school. His father and mother already knew that he did not care or will have the effort in applying himself in schoolwork or group projects. He was only here because his father wanted him to get his diploma and that was it. There was also trying to get information out of the Kururugi heir, but Suzaku didn't seem that interesting to him. Why his father was obsessed with his business, he had no idea.

Suzaku stayed friendly and warm, disheartening as Lelouch's response was. "In so many words, yeah. Lunch is after this class. I know a good place to sit, if you want."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow at him before smiling. Perhaps he was different and more interesting than he thought he was. "You're very nice, all though you know that our fathers are rivals in a company. Tell me, you're not using me to get information on Britannia Incorporated are you?"

Suzaku leaned his cheek on his palm and smiled wider, whispering back. "That's what my dad told me to do. But I'm an honest guy and I think that's bullshit. I'm hoping to let you see that for yourself, though."

"Mister Kururugi, is there something you'd like to share with the class, or is your private conversation with Mister Britannia too important to wait until lunch?" the teacher snapped from the front of the room.

Suzaku sat up straight, color rising to his cheeks, and he blinked innocently. "No, ma'am. My apologies."

Lelouch laughed softly, and then opened his school bag to take out a tablet. Since his mother thought paper was a waste for some reason, she bought him a tablet that you would write with a stylus. It was a waste, but it was something he had to get use to he supposed.

"We can continue this at lunch. I'm very interested to learn more about you Suzaku." And he was, though if his father asked him questions about Suzaku, he wasn't going to lie to him. 

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><p>After class, Suzaku picked up his bag and led Lelouch out to a grassy ledge on the side of the school, ended by a brick wall and overlooking the track field and the swimming pool. There were plenty of trees, with flowers planted around the base of each, and plenty of shade from them.<p>

Suzaku sat on the ledge and leaned back, stretching out on his back. He'd gotten a burger from the cafe, fries, and a bottle of water, and didn't unwrap them immediately.

"So you just moved here, when? Last week?" Suzaku smiled up at Lelouch, not caring that he was getting grass in his hair.

"I moved here two weeks ago, though I tried to convince my parents to not let me come to school. That failed miserably." Lelouch sighed and began to get a plastic container of food from his school bag. The chief made chicken pasta salad, since it was his mother's favorite, and the family had to finish everything before they made a new dish. It was slightly aggravating for a picky eater like Lelouch.

"All though, I'm only glad that I joined this campus because of the swimming pool they have. My family estate has one, yet it's too small, so joining a club might be interesting enough to keep me entertained. Swimming is one of my hobbies, though I don't exploit it enough." Though he hates to, but he had to enjoy _something_ in this campus.

"You swim?" Suzaku grinned and sat up on his elbows. "Yeah, you look like a swimmer." He had a long, lean torso, Suzaku noticed, after looking closer. Long legs, too. "I'm in track and baseball. I was thinking of joining judo, too, but it would be hard to keep up with all of that."

Lelouch stared at Suzaku with wide eyes. "Wait, you're planning to join _more_ teams? Isn't two enough for you?" With his parents, only one sport was enough because he didn't need the scholarship. And, even if he did get it, he would have to give it to someone that needed it. His mother was selfless like that. "Are you trying to get scholarships? Or is this a hobby of yours?"

"Kind of both." Suzaku shrugged and decided to be open about it. "I guess I don't really like spending time at home, so I like doing sports. It feels good. Rewarding." He opened his bag of food and ate a French fry. "How long've you been swimming?"

Rewarding huh? A rich person, definitely not one from the Kururugi Trade, would not think that sports and working hard is _rewarding_. Either Suzaku is not getting the fortune and the share, or the Kururugi heir is very strange. "I started swimming since I was thirteen years old. I went to competitions and won them, so it's something that I enjoy doing. It also helps my father somewhat, and whatever makes him happy makes him leave me alone."

It seemed like Lelouch didn't get along with his father, either. Suzaku's smile softened, easier and more casual. "I feel some tension here, so I want to make sure one thing's clear. I don't want to talk about our dads and whatever rivalry they might try to involve us in. You seemed pretty ready to just peg me as the Kururugi guy's kid, but I'm not talking about my dad's work, and I'm not going to ask you anything about yours. Alright?" He offered Lelouch the box of French fries.

A peace offering? Lelouch smiled softly at Suzaku and grabbed the box. Well, at least the fries were hot and fresh, which was his favorite snack anyway. "Alright, I accept. All though, I would like to see you in your athletics clubs some day. It seems interesting enough to see."

Suzaku laughed and lay back again. "Track is on Mondays and Wednesdays, so there's practice today, if you want to come." And the track field _was_ right next to the swimming pool, only a low chain link fence and several yards of concrete separating them. "I can introduce you to the other guys, if you want. They're pretty cool."

"Yeah...I would like that. Then you can show me the swimming team here." Lelouch analyzed that Suzaku Kururugi was not anything he expected to be, which was very rare for him to say. He usually knew how one person works just by looking at them and talking to him, but not Suzaku. He knew that it was going to be exciting to learn about him.

"I'd be happy to. I think swim practice is a little after track, so it would work out fine." 

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><p>After regular classes, Suzaku walked with Lelouch to the field. He got water for both of them, and had to leave Lelouch on the bleachers when he went out to run. Most of the guys took off their shirts for running, but Suzaku <em>may<em> have been showing off for his audience, at least when he surged ahead of the rest of the group to complete the training circuit first. He even gave Lelouch a grin from where he stood on the red gravel, catching his breath and feeling good about himself. His display would have been a lot more impressive, however, if Gino didn't catch up shortly after and tackle him in a hug.

Lelouch laughed softly as he saw Suzaku being tackled by his teammate. He was sure that he was showing off, since he was running faster than everyone and continued to glance his way. However, what caught his attention that everyone ran with their shirt off... And Suzaku wasn't that bad when it came to muscles on his torso. Sure he was skinny like Lelouch was, but he was more toned, which is surprising for a Japanese teenager.

Seeing that his runs were over for the moment, he walked down from the bleachers and went towards Suzaku and his teammate. "I assume that you're done?"

"Pretty much." Suzaku grinned and fended Gino off, and he picked up his bag without putting his shirt back on. It was too hot for that.

Gino wouldn't just let them go, though. He was too friendly for that. He hung on Suzaku's shoulder and beamed at Lelouch, greeting him with a, "Hey! Lelouch, right? I'm Gino Weinberg." He ruffled Suzaku's hair, having that privilege as a senior. "Are you friends with Suzaku?"

"Don't put him on the spot, Gino," Suzaku snorted, and twisted to push Gino off again.

Gino Weinberg? An American name? "You can say that we're friends, all though I'm not sure yet. I don't have many of them." He concluded that Gino is very nice and a close companion to Suzaku, though he wouldn't appreciate Gino rubbing his head like that, just because he was a junior.

"Alright, well, take some time to consider it," Gino laughed, and left his hands on his hips instead of harassing Suzaku. "Suzaku's an upstanding young man. I think you'll get along fine."

"Sod off," Suzaku told Gino in the playful way only close friends could manage, and he guided Lelouch off the field. "See you tomorrow."

"See ya. Nice meeting you, Lelouch!" Gino turned to gather his things to go, and Suzaku rolled his eyes.

"He's a good guy. He's just enthusiastic," he told Lelouch as they walked into the pool area. There weren't many people there, only a handful of students in one corner of the bleachers, and no one was in the water.

"I can tell that he is. All though, I'm not use to that kind of friendliness when physical contact is needed." Lelouch went to the near changing room and opened the door, then closed it behind him as he changed into his swimming trunks. When he came out of the changing room, he had a towel around his neck and his bag in his hand. He went next to Suzaku and place his things next to him, then went to the pool.

He placed his fingertips in the water to test it before he dived in. He rose from the water minutes later and sighed. "I miss this."

Suzaku sat on the edge of the pool, just in basketball shorts, and he let his legs kick slowly in the water. He smiled and curled his fingers on the lip of the pool. "You already joined swimming club, right? Otherwise I don't think they'd let you use the pool."

"I signed in to be in the swimming club as soon as I saw there was one." Lelouch played with the water in his hands, and then he swam closer to Suzaku. "Do you want to get in? I rather not try to pull you in here."

"Do I have an option, then?" Suzaku laughed out and nudged Lelouch back in the water with his foot.

"Well no. But I can't force you, can I?" He went closer to the edge of the pool and shook his hair, then sighed again. He really did like the water here. "I can race you, if you want to. Since you like to show off."

Suzaku felt his face heat up, and he glanced to the side. "Who says I'm a show-off?" He was confident in his swimming ability, but Lelouch's opinion of him mattered.

Lelouch laughed and moved his long wet hair out of his eyes. "The way that you ran ahead of everyone, how you continued to glance at me while you were running, and at the very end of the run? I can see a show off when I notice the signs."

"If that's what you think," Suzaku growled, grinning, and he slipped into the water with him, accepting the challenge. "The fact remains, I'm the fastest runner."

"That's on land not water, there's a difference." Lelouch smirked slightly as he pressed his back on the wall. He was sure that Suzaku was fast, so he decided to not go easy on him. None of the sports he participated in made him weak. "Are you ready?"

Suzaku put his back to the wall and nodded, bracing himself. They counted down, and on the signal, they kicked off. Suzaku had a strong kick, as a runner, and his strokes were powerful, but forceful as he was, he didn't move through the water quite like Lelouch did.

Lelouch's strokes were swift, not as forceful or rough in the water like Suzaku was. He was graceful with his movements and didn't hesitate in his fast movements as he did so. He was a bit faster than Suzaku, possibly a couple of inches farther. When he touched the wall first, he raised his head from the water, shook the water from his hair, and smirked.

Suzaku was close, but it was still a decisive win for Lelouch. When he pulled his head up and wiped the water from his eyes, he scowled at first. It wasn't that he was mad at Lelouch; he just wasn't expecting to be _beaten_. He covered it up quickly with an impressed smile. "Damn, you're fast."

"So I've been told." He's smirk turned into a small smile as he leaned on the wall again. "I told you I was in competitions, but I would usually be in first place for races. But you're not bad either, you're strokes were impressive."

Not bad either? Suzaku could still just see the smirk, and it kind of pissed him off. He pulled himself up onto the pool ledge and ran his fingers through his hair, chasing the excess water out. "Thanks. That was fun." Be a gracious winner, he reminded himself. Don't mention how close it was, how easily he could have beaten him.

"Excuse me?" a tired-sounding voice interrupted. A smaller boy, maybe a sophomore, stepped forward from the corner of the bleachers, to talk to the two of them. "We're not really supposed to be in the pool right now. There's no practice today."

"Oh? Sorry, we'll get out." Suzaku pulled his legs from the water, and he offered a hand to Lelouch.

Lelouch graciously took Suzaku offer to help him up, and then walked to his school bag to get a towel. "Well that's a lot of fun, but I better try to make it home on time. My father want to discuss future plans to the company to me and mother needs help with her designs for her clothing line. We can do this again sometime?"

"Yeah, I'd love to." Suzaku smiled and tried not to let himself get flustered. He got the impression that Lelouch wasn't the type of person to say 'let's do this again sometime' very often. "I uh, history tomorrow, then?" He went to pick up his shirt, drying his hair with it.

Lelouch smiled as he put on some black pants and a long-sleeve white shirt. He always brought spare clothes, just in case. "Sure Suzaku, I'll see you later." When he gathered his things together, he started to walk off and went towards the school's front gate.

As he thought, his father would probably like to know that Suzaku Kururugi is not like his father, but at the same time it's useless information. Though, he could not understand how his father worked, all he knew that his father was very passionate with his job. It was a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you saw it, but Lelouch didn't care either way.

A black car was already waiting outside for him and his mother's guard, Jeremiah Gottwald, was outside opening the door to the passengers' seat.

"Master Lelouch, you're mother is waiting on you at the house."

"Thank you for that useful information Jeremiah," Lelouch said with a sarcastic tone as he stepped inside the car. She was a staying home mom for goodness sake.

"My apologies."

"It's nothing to worry about." Lelouch focused his attention elsewhere as Jeremiah closed the door. He looked around the area and noticed that there wasn't a car or anyone for Suzaku. School ended, so shouldn't Suzaku have someone for him?

Suzaku didn't have anyone waiting on him; he had to drive himself to work right after school. He put his stuff in his bag, and he jogged by himself to the school lot, where he'd left his motorcycle. He pulled on a hoodie and his helmet, and he drove out, engine snarling, down the road opposite the one Lelouch's car was taking. 

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><p>Charles didn't have to go to the office every day. Most of the time, he stayed in his home office, and he only went to the company building for weekly meetings. Today was strange, though, because instead of staying locked in his study, he was downstairs in the living room, flipping through the newspaper.<p>

"How was school, Lelouch?" he asked when the door opened, though he didn't look up from the printed words. His voice didn't have any inflection, either; he wasn't interested in how Lelouch's day went, but he simply had to lead into a conversation. Detached and cold, as usual.

Lelouch knew that his father didn't care about him, probably the information he was going to give him and a lecture of him taking over the company. Since Nunnally is too young, Euphemia is a not strong willed enough, Cornelia doesn't care, and since Schneizel has his own company, Lelouch was the one that will inherit Britannia Incorporated. Though he didn't care about the company at all, it didn't mean that he had to express it.

"It's easy like the other ones you made me go to." Jeremiah closed the door and went up the stairs as Lelouch sat across from his father in a sofa. "What is it that you wanted from me father?"

Charles actually laid the newspaper down in his lap and looked up at Lelouch then. Eye contact. That was something, at least.

"Did you make any friends?" The question was pointed. He had already told Lelouch that the Kururugi boy went to Ashford, and that he expected him to _get along_ with him.

He smirked at him and folded his hands across his crossed legs. Honestly, it wasn't like Lelouch was going to disobey his father. "Suzaku Kururugi is a very interesting person. We're supposed to try to help each other with History when a project comes up and we went swimming today." He didn't exactly answer his question, but to hell with it. Messing with his father always made him feel better.

Eerily, Charles seemed satisfied. He didn't smile or frown; he just looked back down at his newspaper and kept reading. He wasn't stupid enough to expect big trade secrets on the first day or anything; all he wanted was some insurance, so when competition got tighter, he might have some leverage. "That's good," was all he said.

As he expected, his father was easily satisfied with anything he told him. He could just lie and said that he didn't like Suzaku, but it wouldn't matter. Lelouch wasn't a liar and it wasn't a trait that he was willing to pick up from his father. At least, he didn't lie all of the time."But I did learn something about him."

"And what would that be?" Charles glanced up, curious. Lelouch volunteering information was unusual.

"Although, it would require the usual payment. Nunnally and Euphemia want to go shopping this weekend, and then Schneizel wants to go somewhere next week in Denmark." The usual payment was around five thousand dollars and maybe seven thousand if he was lucky. That was probably what he inherited from Charles zi Britannia; negotiation, bribes, and his intelligence, although Lelouch's intelligence is higher and close to Schneizel's.

At first, annoyance flashed across Charles' face, but then he just looked amused. "Alright, fine. I'll give you ten thousand if it's good." That was nothing, in the scheme of the company's daily profits.

Lelouch smirk became wider. His old man really wanted to know some information about Suzaku. Maybe stretching the truth won't hurt in this. "It seems like his father does not support him in anything. Usually, rich kids would possibly brag about their family business, yet Suzaku refuses to talk about it. I also witnessed him going the opposite direction than the Kururugi household is, which probably means that he was either going to a friend's house, or doing something else. Probably drugs, or probably whoring around with other women. It is something that will tarnish the Kururugi name if information came out."

That got Charles to smile. "Very good. Keep an eye on him. If he _is_ doing anything incriminating, and _if you can get evidence_, it'll be $100,000." With that weighty promise, he looked back down to his newspaper and forgot Lelouch existed. Whenever he promised Lelouch money, he just had it transferred to his account, instead of handing him anything.

"Yes sir." And with that, Lelouch stood up from his seat and left the living room, but he left with a thoughtful look as he went to his mother's clothing office. Suzaku would probably kill him if he found out, but, usually, he kept his company out of the Britannia household. Now... How to fabricate a sexual act to get that $100,000? 

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><p>Suzaku got home about ten after working at the auto shop. He was sore from practice and dirty from working on car engines, and all he really wanted was a shower and some sleep. Maybe dinner, if no one had eaten his leftovers. He just didn't want to deal with his dad.<p>

He parked his bike out of sight when he got home, since his dad didn't like how it looked in front of the pristine, oversized house, and he opened and shut the door quietly.

"Where have you been, boy?" Suzaku's father, Genbu Kururugi, was in the corner of the living room reading a book next to a lamp. He waited there since five in the afternoon and, even though his wife wanted him to sleep or go in the room with her, he ignored her and waited. His face remained expressionless and was not looking at his son, yet his eyes held anger.

Shit. Suzaku sighed and gripped the strap of his bag a degree tighter. "I was at work, father. I work on Mondays." His tone was dry, and that was all the respect he could muster for this man. He knew that his father was a horrible person.

"Are you sure that you're not whoring around any woman that I should know about? Because you usually come home around nine instead of ten." Genbu looked Suzaku in the eyes and the unexpressed anger was written in his face. "I refuse for a boy _like you_ to ruin my business."

"How is coming home _one hour late_ going to ruin your business?" Suzaku snapped. "I had to stay late because my boss made a customer angry and _I_ had to fix it."

"For all I know it's a lie and you're seeing some whore on the street." Genbu rose from his seat and glared at the boy in front of him. He never called Suzaku his son and he wasn't going to feel sympathy for him now. "I'm keeping you here to keep you in check and in line so you won't ruin the company's reputation. Without me and my money, you wouldn't be able to do _anything_. You'll be poor and homeless; don't forget that. Now get out of here."

"Get out of here, as in, go to my room or leave the house?" Suzaku answered flatly. "You know I have to work late to save up for college, because I have to pay my own way, remember?" He didn't move or even look away. He'd been firmer lately, just because he was sick of taking his dad's shit.

"If you want to leave, be my guest. Where are you going to stay? You have no money, no friends, and you're a student. Who's going to help you? It doesn't matter to me, but if you don't want to leave this house right now, you get out of my sight. Now."

It took all of Suzaku's self-control to walk upstairs to his room without saying anything else, or breaking anything, or slamming the door. He took a shower and curled up on his bed, his mood too bad to even text anyone. He didn't talk to anyone about his dad. Sometimes, he wanted to invent a scandal, just to ruin his father's shady, selfish business. 

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><p>So was it... Good? God I hope so, because I won't publish the next one unless this popular or something... <p>


	2. Chapter 2

Okay~ So some people do like this? So I shall update this and all of you shall enjoy it more~

Of course, I didn't make this and this was a roleplay.

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><p>Two weeks had passed since the boys meet each other for the first time, yet Lelouch knew that the friendship really did not progress. He was looking for something exciting with Suzaku, yet since he kept his secrets rather than tell him, he was getting slightly bored with his routine. World History, then they will be outside eating lunch, and then they would go to their clubs and meet in the other person's club if they got out early. Routines always bored Lelouch, so when Suzaku and him were walking towards their World History class, Lelouch sighed and pulled out his cell phone. "I'm not going to class today."<p>

"What?" Suzaku thought he hadn't heard him right at first, and then he frowned, concerned. "Are you feeling sick? I can drive you home."

"No I'm not sick, but thank you." Lelouch laughed, and then looked up from his cell phone. "Have you ever just felt that you're in a routine? Waking up, going to school, and then going home? Sure, there are things in between that make it interesting, yet it's the same thing. I hate it. Therefore, I'm skipping school today in order to play a chess match. You're welcome to come with me if you want to, but it's your decision to do it, I'm not going to force you."

Suzaku tilted his head, considered it, and smiled. "A chess match?" He wasn't any good at chess, but he knew that Lelouch would look good playing it, somehow. He didn't mind the routine so much, but he knew what Lelouch meant. They were ahead in their classes, anyway. They could afford to goof off a little.

"Well... It's a bit more than just a chess match." Lelouch walked passed their classroom and was on his way to the entrance of the school. He was emailing someone that he would be at the area around thirty minutes or so. "I play for money, since it's something that keeps the other person in interest. And I usually play adults or chess prodigies for a large sum of money as well. It's why I'm able to spend anything like I do; my father doesn't give me an allowance."

"So, gambling?" Suzaku didn't appear to approve wholeheartedly, but he was still interested. "If that's what you want to do. Do you want a ride?" The corner of his lip quirked up.

"I would appreciate it, yes." Lelouch smiled. "And, for the ride, I'll give you half my winnings. It seems fair enough. It seems like you need it."

Suzaku's half-smile fell, and he scratched his neck as they walked toward the parking lot. "No, that's okay. I don't need it." Did he _seem_ poor? He was clean and relatively well-dressed, right? God, Lelouch must think he was a slob or something.

Lelouch glanced at Suzaku in the corner of his eyes and sighed. "Suzaku, I can tell that your father isn't supporting you. You're hands are rough, which is not needed for someone in track and with baseball only the tips of your hands should rough because of gloves. Inside of your palm is like sandpaper. Also, the second day I meet you, you seemed disturbed about something and it seemed like you didn't get enough sleep. I didn't say anything about, although it's becoming worrisome. So you don't have to lie about it. If you need the money, just say so."

Suzaku's face flushed a deep red, and he looked away from him as they walked. "Don't worry about me, Sherlock." His fingers curled self consciously, and he tried to feel how rough his own hands were. "I repair cars after school, so... It doesn't matter."

"...I see." This was probably why he was 'assigned' to Suzaku than Euphemia or anyone of his half siblings. Lelouch knew how to read people just by looking at them, and knowing information by his eyes made his father consider him. Lelouch was distant, yet he knew information and knew how to deliver it. Though it always came in a price. "In any rate, getting off that topic, do you know where Ikebukuro is? The chess match takes place in their skyscraper called "Smoking Owl Trading Company"."

"Yeah, I can drive there. If you don't mind motorcycles." He stopped by his bike and pulled out his helmet and a spare, holding the latter out to Lelouch.

Lelouch stared at the helmet and grabbed it. "I never rode on a motorcycle before. Just be sure to not drive too fast all right?"

"I won't," Suzaku promised, smiling again. He straddled the bike and kicked the stand. "Just sit behind me, and be careful where you put your feet so they don't get caught in the wheel." He pulled his helmet on, relaxed with the whole process.

"...All right." Lelouch slowly sat behind Suzaku and placed the helmet on his head. He watched where he placed his feet like he was told and, for insurance, he placed his arms around Suzaku firmly. He was iffy with motorcycles but Suzaku isn't dead yet, so he must be a safe driver. "I think I'm ready. You can go now."

"Alright, sir," Suzaku laughed under his breath. "Just keep holding on tight." He kicked the engine into gear, and the bike shot off down the road. He went slow, for Lelouch's benefit, but 'slow' for motorcycle standards still didn't feel very slow at all. Suzaku liked to go fast, but if someone was on the bike with him, he would tone down his recklessness and drive safely.

As soon as the bike sped down the road, Lelouch hurriedly tightened his grip on Suzaku's waist and shivered because of the cool air. He knew that motorcycles were famous for being fast, but this was _ridiculous_. Since he wasn't use to this, he just closed his eyes.

Suzaku had to smirk a bit at that. He took a smooth turn around to the next street, and he drove into the city, where Lelouch told him to go. At a stop light, he reached back to squeeze Lelouch's knee reassuringly, not sure he would be able to hear him over the traffic if he asked him if he was okay.

Lelouch opened his eyes slightly to see Suzaku's hand on his knee, and sat up straighter when he noticed the stoplight. At least that they were almost there, since he noticed the large building with the glowing Owl on the top of the skyscraper. He nudged Suzaku slightly and pointed in front of him the building that they were supposed to go to.

Suzaku nodded, and his hand went back to the bike handle. The light turned green, and they crossed the city quickly. He parked outside the building with the owl on it, and when he pulled off his helmet, he was grinning and bright-eyed.

"What did you think?" He liked his bike a lot. He just hoped Lelouch would like it, too.

Lelouch took his helmet off of his head and blinked before taking a shaky breathe. He slowly got off Suzaku's bike and the soles of his feet felt like they were vibrating; he lost his balanced for one moment, yet firmly placed his feet on the ground and forced himself stand still. Once he was sure that he was fine, Lelouch glanced at Suzaku and smiled a bit. "That...Was an adrenaline rush. It's going to take me a minute to get use to it, but that was definitely different."

Suzaku put away the helmets and grinned wider. "You liked it, then?" He was already steady on his feet, and opened the door of the skyscraper for Lelouch.

Lelouch's smile became a bit wider as he went through the door. "Well yes, I did like it. Possibly when we get back, if you want to drive faster, then you can. I don't think I would mind it." The feeling was different, and he liked it. Possibly, trying new things with Suzaku wouldn't be a bad idea.

"How can I help you," the front desk secretary asked with a smile, which Lelouch returned when he approached the desk.

"Yes, I have an appointment with Ichirou Goro at the moment. Where do I go?"

"Oh... You must be Lelouch vi Britannia then. He's on the twenty-second floor."

"Thank you." Lelouch nodded to the secretary before going to the elevator and pressing the button. While he waited, he turned to Suzaku. "I guess that you never been in a large building like this?"

Suzaku followed Lelouch into the elevator and looked a bit affronted. "Why would you think that?" he chuckled. "Just because my dad doesn't bring me to work doesn't mean I haven't been in the city before."

"...Right, I apologize. I seem to forget about that." For some reason, though Lelouch knew about his 'predicament' thought that Suzaku was poor and needed help. It was probably because he needed help, but refuses to show it, and it makes Lelouch give him empathy. Although he needed to remember just because Suzaku wasn't well off like he should be, didn't mean that he was ignorant.

"It's fine." Suzaku smiled, though he was still embarrassed. He must seem very average to Lelouch, he thought. "I don't really act like I come here a lot, so it wouldn't matter." He shrugged and looked down to his shoes. They were dirty and scuffed, and needed replacing, unlike Lelouch's, which were sturdy and shiny. Lelouch's clothes were crisper, while Suzaku's showed signs of being run through the wash one too many times and missing a few threads. It was humbling, and he _was_ out of place.

"I see... I want to ask you something, but I don't want to force you to answer it. Though it seems like our friendship lasted for months since we spent time together, it's only been two weeks." And he also had to keep reminding himself that. Lelouch was patient, to some degree, and he wanted to know what Suzaku knows so he could get the money from his father. Since he was collecting money for a purpose, though no one needed to know about it.

Suzaku smiled, a bit hesitantly, and glanced at the elevator's progress when he looked back up at him. "Well, we still have nineteen floors to go, so shoot."

"...What is your relationship with your father?" Lelouch turned to stare at Suzaku in the eyes. Since Suzaku was easy to read, his eyes were the easiest points. "It seems like both of you are struggling to keep a decent relationship. Like I said, you don't have to answer if you don't have to."

Well, that was more personal than Suzaku had been ready for. His brow flinched, and he licked his lips and smiled. It was painfully obvious already that they didn't get along.

"We don't talk that much. He's busy, and he wants me to learn to support myself." It was the most charitable way he could put it.

"That makes sense...My father just wants me to inherit the family business, although if I do I would change it completely." Lelouch though it was fair to get information then give some of his own. That way, both of them will learn about each other. "All though, he has seven heirs and I am one of the seven that is willing or is of age to take the business. Father is... Cold. Doesn't show emotion much and lectures me in the markets and stocks every day."

Suzaku folded his arms, closer to hugging himself defensively. The topic was making him uncomfortable, though he listened politely. "Do you _want_ to inherit the business?" he asked, curious.

"Not at all." Lelouch showed a smirk when he scoffed. "However, the Britannia family is the most powerful company in the world close to the Kururugi Trade. The only difference is that Britannia Incorporated has better merchandise and they last for a long time. People that have private business use our company in order for them the get profit, plus we do because of our name. If I take it over, I might change it to something close to rare pieces or to help my mother with her clothing line. Something like that."

He glanced at Suzaku again, and smiled. "Well, what would you do if you took over the Kururugi Trade?" Suzaku had around ten floors left, so answering the questions depended on if he wanted to answer or not.

Whatever open, welcoming look there was to Suzaku's face dissolved. "I won't, and I don't want to. If I did, I'd probably break the company down and donate the money to charities and research funds instead of buying yachts and supporting bad politicians like my father does." He shrugged defensively and turned his eyes to the button panel of the elevator.

Good, Lelouch's father should give him something for that. And Suzaku doesn't support his father, which is an added bonus for Lelouch too. Somehow, he and Lelouch became close, not close enough to be brothers, but close enough friends. And for Suzaku to be hurt because of Lelouch's choices and goals didn't suit him well. He was fine using him in the beginning of his friendship... Just not now. "I apologize. I probably ruined your mood today because of talking about your father. For now on, I won't mention anything about him."

Suzaku hadn't wanted to talk about their fathers in the first place. He still looked guarded, but put in enough effort to give Lelouch a flat smile. "It's fine. We're friends, so we should be able to talk to each other about this stuff, right?"

"I'm sure that friends do talk to each other about their issues." Lelouch gave a small smile before he noticed that they were on their floor. Once the doors opened, Lelouch walked out and stood in the hallway. "Now... What do you know about chess?"

"Uh, that I had lessons when I was a kid, and that people beat me at it a lot." Suzaku smiled sheepishly and followed him into the hall. "I'm out of practice, so I think it'd be fun to watch."

"Maybe I can teach you one day. Chess is not that complicated once you know the rules. Ask my any questions you have at the end of the match though." He continued to walk through the hallway until he stopped at a large double door. Once he pushed through the door, a middle aged man was in his desk. He looked up and smiled.

"Lelouch vi Britannia. It's good to see you again."

"Ichirou Goro," Lelouch said it like a statement as he sat across from the man. He crossed his legs as he watched the CEO of Smoking Owl take out his chess set in his desk drawer. "I hope you don't mind that I bring someone with me."

"Who is he?"

"He's my guard for today. You know how my mother gets."

"Yes, she is protective with you." Ichiro began to set the pieces of the chessboard. Lelouch had the black pieces and the businessman had white. "So what is it this time? The usual wager?"

"I need around," Lelouch paused for a moment, "$50,000 today. If that's not an issue."

"No no it's not," he moved his pawn. "When you lose, just make sure you give me the money before you visit."

"Of course. I usually pay my debts."

"Anyway, go on and make your move."

His guard? Suzaku didn't protest, but he smiled quietly to himself and watched. He fixed his posture, to look tough and respectable at the same time, like a guard should be, and watched the board. These were high stakes Lelouch was playing on, and he didn't know what to think of his confidence just yet.

The game started pretty simple yet it ended much quicker than Lelouch though it would. He ended the game in seventeen moves, which was the second fastest time he won a game. Ichirou stared at the board with astonishment before laughing.

"You're truly something Lelouch vi Britannia." He smiled, then called his secretary on the phone to transfer the winnings in Lelouch's account. Since Lelouch comes to the company around twice a month, the account number already saved in their computers.

"So I've been told. I'll tell my mother about today's visit."

"Of course, try to visit more often since you live here."

"I can try to." Lelouch walked out of the office and closed the door when Suzaku walked out, then he smirked. "Do you see how easy it is?"

"_You_ made it look easy," Suzaku laughed, pressing the button in the elevator down to the lobby. "But what was that about me being your guard?" He thought it was funny, but was curious why Lelouch picked that, of all things.

"Because, I usually have an escort with me when I go anywhere. And you seem like a good guard for me, so why not? Why, you don't like it?"

His smile changed, a degree more thoughtful and maybe mischievous. "No, I do. It just...wasn't expected," he chuckled. He tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, considerably happier than he'd been on the ride up the building minutes before.

Lelouch laughed softly and looked through his phone. He only had one text, which was from his bank account, but he deleted it. "This seems sudden, but do you have a girlfriend? You seem like you have one, since you're very polite." For some reason, he wanted to know. It might help him later on if he has a girlfriend; she might be persuaded and possibly he could get more information out of them.

"No." Suzaku tried and failed not to glance at Lelouch for just a second. He bit his cheek and tried to sound casual when he asked, "Why, do you?"

"No girl will ever catch my interest because _I'm gay_ Suzaku." Lelouch smile widened as he went through his emails. "There are a couple of guys at this campus that caught my interest, yet I'm sure that they're not gay or bisexual."

Suzaku did look surprised, but not in the awkward way that most people dread when they admit they're gay. Instead, he was trying not to smile wider and seem interested. "Ah," he answered simply, cheerful but not sure exactly how to respond yet.

Lelouch glanced at him in the corner of his eyes and smiled a bit. "You don't seem surprised about it. You seem relieved. Why is that?"

Oh god oh god oh god. Suzaku ducked his head and laughed, rubbing the side of his neck with one hand. "Well, you're popular with the ladies. If you were straight, the other guys wouldn't stand a chance with them," he joked, trying to brush it off, but he was blushing again.

"The other guys? And you're not including yourself?" Lelouch was just playing with him, but he knew a hint when he saw one. Suzaku was bisexual and he was afraid of getting caught. It was... Cute. He was sure that was the word for it.

Suzaku couldn't imagine what his father would do if he found out he liked boys. He liked Lelouch, a lot, as much as he could for having known him for two weeks, and this was making him giggly and nervous. "What about you, then?" he laughed without answering Lelouch's question. "You're so sure the guys you're interested in are straight?"

A name game? He never did like those. "I'm sure that they are. I usually attract someone without me saying anything... All though, there is that friend of yours. He seems very nice."

Suzaku's playful, somewhat flirty smile faded. "Who, Gino?" That put a damper on things, didn't it?

"...Gino Weinberg? Was that his name? He seems very nice, but I don't really know him that much. He's attractive, but it seems to me that he would irritate me." Lelouch glanced at Suzaku's way and grinned. He placed his cell phone in his pocket and leaned on the elevator wall. "You're attractive as well. However, I'm not sure I want to cross that line. You seem interested in girls."

And there was the bashful smile again. Suzaku had to be careful around this guy, especially when he tugged his mood in all different directions like this.

"Attractive?" he laughed softly. He'd heard 'cute,' and a lot of 'hot,' and sometimes even 'handsome,' but 'attractive' was unusual.

"Well yes attractive. Do I have to list everything for you?" Lelouch sighed, but his smile was still on his face. He admits it though, that he's definitely attracted to Suzaku Kururugi. "Your curly brown hair, tan skin, emerald eyes, you have a nice muscle structure, and you seem like a person that is very trustworthy and protective of their views at the same time. Therefore, in my book, attractive."

Alright, then. This couldn't be too much of a problem, then. Suzaku smiled and stepped forward, crossing the elevator to him, and he put his hands on the wall on either side of Lelouch, just to see how he would respond.

"And if I didn't just like girls?" he prompted, calmer when he was more assertive.

Lelouch was a bit surprised on Suzaku's movements towards him, yet, at the same time, he wasn't really bothered by it. He stood a bit straighter and made eye level with Suzaku. "Well, if it was up to me, and if you didn't just like girls, then it would be a _slight_ problem. I'm very possessive and I don't like sharing Suzaku."

"Who said anything about sharing?" Suzaku grinned wider. The elevator car stopped, and Suzaku pulled away from him when the door opened, practically glowing when he walked out.

Lelouch exhaled heavily as he walked out the elevator car. His nerves were on edge and he was slightly irritated because how Suzaku pulled away. So, when both of them arrived to the motorcycle, Lelouch stared at Suzaku get on his bike before he got on it.

Suzaku picked up the helmets, but held off in putting his own on. He smiled up at Lelouch and asked, almost innocently, "Something on your mind, Lelouch?"

"Just shut the hell up and drive." Lelouch placed his helmet on his head before he wrapped his arms around Suzaku's tightly, yet he did it tightly enough for Suzaku to lose his breath slightly. "When we get back to the academy, I'm going to show you how possessive I really am."

So Suzaku drove. He had to concentrate on driving, trying not to think about the beautiful, possibly angry boy behind him on the bike, or if this meant that they were together, or if Lelouch was just using him anyway. He drove faster this time, partly to show off and partly just to get back to the school faster.

He parked in the lot, took off his helmet, and ran a hand through his hair. "So, is this a good or a bad thing, that you're possessive?" he ventured.

Lelouch took off his helmet and shook his hair in place, then placed it on the seat when he stood up. "It's only a bad thing if you're cheating on me." He walked towards Suzaku and drummed his long fingers underneath his neck. "How I take things is very... Different. If you come on to me like that, we're in a relationship. I don't care what you do afterwards or during the day, just contact me everyday at least once a day. If you cheat on me however," Lelouch smiled softly, "You just won't be able to live in Japan anymore. I take relationships _very_ seriously."

So he was crazy. The rules themselves, stay in touch and don't cheat, sounded reasonable, but the presentation was a bit too much. Still, Suzaku had to smile. "So we're in a relationship?" After some flirting in an elevator?

He nodded and backed away slightly. He was sure that he got his point across. "I will let you know that my family knows about my homosexuality. My father doesn't approve of it, which is why I am trying to get on good terms with him. It's just a warning though, don't think about it too much."

"Oh." Suzaku nodded and stood up off the bike, fixing the stand and picking up his bag. "My dad...doesn't know about me. Not that we'd ever have to talk to him about it."

Lelouch nodded and then looked at his wristwatch. It was around lunchtime and it was about to end. They only had two more periods before they were free to go home. "By the way Suzaku... If your father is letting you become independent. Does that mean that you have a job?"

"Yeah. I told you, I work at the auto shop." Suzaku sounded confused, and shouldered his bag as they walked back toward the school.

"One day, can I visit your job? I'm just curious." Honestly, he never seen anyone actually _work_ hard besides the maids and the gardeners in his home. When he grew up, he was always curious about the different jobs that there were. Now that Suzaku was his boyfriend, he could visit the place anytime he wanted too.

Suzaku had been sort of scared that Lelouch was going to tell him to quit his job. This was much better. He smiled and pushed his hands back into his pockets, looking like the perfect boyfriend again. "Yeah, I'd like that. It'd be busy, though, and loud and dirty. You might not like it."

"If that's the case, then I rather watch you when I'm just wearing my old clothes. None of those things bother me, and I'm just observing." Though Lelouch could just support him by telling him to quit his job, it seems like Suzaku likes working there. If he wanted to stop, he could have a long time ago when he said he was going to give him half of his winnings. That's why he liked Suzaku. He was a hard worker and he was honest.

"That shouldn't be a problem." Suzaku glanced over to Lelouch, wondering what he was thinking. He sighed softly and decided to be open with him. "I've never been in a relationship with a guy before," he admitted. "I haven't even gotten a chance to tell you how much I like you. But I think before we set too many rules, we should take this slow."

"That's fine... Today's our first day in a relationship and we only meet two weeks ago. We don't know that much about each other besides our family business and the hobbies that we do out of school. So I understand." Since it was still lunch, Lelouch decided to sit outside of the entrance of the school as he brought out his lunch. It was chicken pasta salad again, but at least Suzaku can take some of his family's cooking. "It's still lunch. Do you want some?"

How could Lelouch even be sure that he wanted to be in a relationship with him when they barely knew each other? Suzaku smiled, trying to be polite about it. He had started to skip on lunch to try and save money, which showed exactly how dependent on himself he was. "Yes, please."

"Good. Because I didn't really want chicken pasta _again_ this month. Mother is trying to make us eat healthier and it's her favorite dish. I can't stand it." Lelouch laughed a bit before getting food on the fork and holding it out for Suzaku. "Here, have some."

Suzaku liked chicken pasta just fine, but he'd probably get sick of it in Lelouch's situation, too. He took the fork and took a bite, still not used to someone else feeding him. "It's really good."

"Suzaku, where _were_ you all morning?" Suzaku looked up when he heard Gino's voice, and Gino grinned back at them over the brick wall around the garden. "Did you guys skip or something?"

"Something like that," Lelouch picked with the food in the container and ate a small piece of pasta with the same fork. "I just got bored with school, so we went somewhere in our second period. Why, what happened?" It seems like Gino Weinberg was nosey about Suzaku, which didn't bother him. They were friends for a long time, he guesses, so it's understandable.

"Well..." Gino leaned his forearms on the wall, frowning for once. "A shitload, actually. There was an announcement, for shutting down a bunch of clubs that didn't have enough members in them, so sorry, dude, no more fencing club, or even swimming."

Lelouch's eyes widened a bit. "Seriously?" It was the entire reason why he loved this school, since it had a swimming program. If that was taken away... "...If we get more members, then will the school be able to keep the club? Maybe enter completions or something like that?" He glanced at Suzaku for a moment before he had his attention on Gino.

"Maybe, if you _really_ change their minds about it." Gino sighed and shrugged. "Good luck finding members this late, though. But that's not all that happened." He leaned his cheek on his shoulder and smiled, the teasing expression more aimed at Suzaku. "A lot of people noticed you were both gone, since you've been spending so much time together. So I'd just...be careful, okay? People are starting to say shit."

Lelouch already had around four members that could possibly join the swim club at it is, since they said that they wanted to join; Shirley, Kallen, a girl named C.C, and _maybe_ Suzaku. That wasn't really an issue, so he was sure that the club could still be open. However, when he heard Gino teasing Suzaku about their 'friendship' he glanced at Gino with an unreadable expression. "What are they saying? That we're together?"

Suzaku hid his slight smile behind a bottle of water, just watching this part of the conversation unfold.

Gino shrugged again. "That, or that you're plotting to take over your fathers' businesses together. Usually a mix of those. I'm just worried. Some people sounded like they'd get mean about it."

"Let them." Lelouch frisked his hand away and continued to eat small bites off the pasta before giving it to Suzaku. "Rumors only hurt themselves and, even if it was true, what would they do? Would they kick us out; because a large sum of my parent's money helps this academy. It doesn't matter what they do."

Gino thought that over for a second and smiled. "So... Can I ask if any of its true?"

"We're together, yes," Suzaku replied, calm and maybe proud. "The part about creating a trade monopoly, though, we haven't decided yet."

Gino laughed out loud at the last part and rocked back on his heels. "That's... Hey, I'm happy for you guys."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow for a moment before glancing at Suzaku. He never said that he would be happy if their relationship would be open or not, but he guessed that him and Suzaku thought the same way. "I will want to know what _exactly_ what they're saying after I fetch the rest of the swim team. Suzaku, Gino, are both of you willing to join?"

"You know I am," Suzaku laughed, hugging his knees. "I have an open slot, since fencing's gone."

"I'm up for it too," Gino agreed. "I've never really swum competitively, but I'll do my best."

Lelouch smiled softly before leaning towards Suzaku and kissing his cheek. Suzaku really was the sweetest, and he picked supportive friends. Maybe the relationship will work out. "I'll find the rest of the people. Go on ahead and eat lunch."

They went back to class after lunch. History was their longest class together, but after that, they were both scheduled for advanced English. They didn't sit next to each other in that class, but it was alright.

Before class started, kids were talking and grinning, and glancing at them and lowering their voices. Suzaku kept himself from frowning, and he sat down at his seat with dignity. It was like they were doing the walk of shame in front of the whole school. No one would have noticed them gone if they didn't come from rich families, and that pissed him off.

When Lelouch sat down across the room, a girl leaned over and smiled brightly at him. She was cute, petite and brunette, and in most of his advanced classes. "Hey, Lelouch. We missed you in calculus. Do you need the notes?"

"No I'm sure I'm all right," Lelouch gave her a smile, "Math is my strongest point anyway." All though he really wanted her to leave him alone, since he noticed everyone talking about him and Suzaku. Just because they skipped one class together, they come back with rumors. And this girl, Petra Winchencash, needed to mind her own business.

Petra's smile quieted down, barely discouraged. "Alright. Well, do you need any help with it?"

Annette, the girl next to her, snorted crudely. "Don't suck up, Petra. It's unbecoming. Besides, he's already got a study buddy, right?" She glanced Suzaku's way meaningfully.

Lelouch followed her gaze and sighed; he placed his textbook on the table. "Suzaku isn't in advanced calculus. Why are both of you interested in what we do anyway? Two weeks ago, neither of you paid any attention to me."

"There's a rumor going around," a girl walked to the table and held her textbook across her chest. Her name was Christina, if Lelouch was right. "That both of you are dating and that you're planning to join the companies together."

"I don't understand where this is coming from." Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "We went somewhere and we came back. Where did this rumor come from?"

"Someone said that they saw you riding a motorcycle with Suzaku. They said that you were holding his waist tightly and leaned on him."

Annette laughed. "Sounds cute." She winked at Lelouch, leaning back in her chair. "Most guys flat-out refuse to ride on a bike with another guy."

"Both of you shut up," Petra sniffed. "It's good that they're friends. You don't need to bully him."

"However it's interesting how rumors spread so fast." Christina said with a small smile. "So what did you do when you left the campus? Went on a date?"

"I don't think it's anyone's business what we did." Lelouch was getting irritated. He never let anyone bother him this much and it never got to him. At this point, he wanted to slap all three girls surrounding him.

"Oh, well, I guess they didn't." Annette shrugged. "Everyone knows Suzaku's into Gino, anyway."

"No way. Suzaku likes Shirley," Petra snapped. "Have you seen how nice he is to her?"

"He's nice to _everyone_," Annette sighed, rolling her eyes.

"He's not gay, though," Petra argued.

"Maybe _Suzaku_ isn't," Annette allowed, glancing at Lelouch and trailing off.

Lelouch took a harsh deep breath before he glared at all three girls surrounding him. His bright violet eyes were shades darker and he gritted his teeth. "I think all of you need to leave me alone."

"Why, do you have something to hide?" Christina said with a smirk. "Maybe you are gay—"

"I know that all three of you are going to school here because of my father's scholarship. Nearly everyone is. And I can easily take that away. _So leave_."

Petra looked hurt, and she turned back around in her seat with a mumbled, "Sorry."

Annette scoffed and laughed, though. "You're a spoiled brat, you know that? You don't own everything. I worked hard to earn my way into here. That's not your daddy's money. Just because you get your panties in a twist over a few questions doesn't mean you can threaten my education."

"Is that true?" Lelouch smirked at Annette and crossed his arms. "Tell me, when you were arrested because of assault last year, was it because you worked your way into the academy or you used someone to cover it? We don't allow felons or anyone with a violent record here and you can easily get kicked out. With hard work or not."

Annette narrowed her eyes, and finally turned back around in her seat, mumbling under her breath, "You are so fucked."

He ignored her comment and took another deep breath before he noticed the teacher come in. At least he will be able to concentrate on school before he would talk to Suzaku about this.

* * *

><p>After their English class and one more they didn't have together, school ended and some of the students went to their dorms. Since the hallways were mostly empty, since he stayed five minutes after to talk the Headmaster of the school, he was walking to the parking lot to see Suzaku. Lelouch was sure that he was still there before he went to work or home.<p>

Suzaku looked up when he noticed Lelouch coming, and he smiled. He'd had his share of teasing for the day, and though most of it didn't get to him, he was tired of it. More so, he was worried about Lelouch.

"Hey, you okay?" He relaxed his posture and held off on putting on his bike helmet.

"Suzaku," Lelouch sighed and rubbed his eyes. "As much as I _love_ attention, I have no idea how to stop this. Three girls came to me to tease me about my sexuality and I had to expel someone because they hid their violent record. If it becomes worse, my family and your family will find out about us. And I have no idea what your or my father will react."

Suzaku listened, and then nodded. He bit his lip and looked down to the handles of his bike. It was only their first day together, they hadn't even kissed, and Lelouch was already having issues with their relationship. This didn't bode well.

"So you want to keep it secret?" he suggested. "Our parents want us to be friends anyway. We can just keep it looking like that."

"True, we can continue to look like friends. It will be easier that way; I just wish that we didn't. Since my father will probably won't care about what I do, the company reflects on what I do every day. It's irritating." He glanced at Suzaku before smiling softly, and then placed his hands in Suzaku's hair. "If it does get to the point where your father knows or mine, then I'll be here. I want you to know that."

Suzaku smiled and lowered his eyes again. He wanted this to work, but this was fast: they hardly knew each other, and there was drama after they had barely been together for three hours.

"Can I take you somewhere?"

Lelouch blinked, then looked downward to think. Jeremiah said that he wouldn't be able to pick him up today, since his mother was going on a trip to Russia. His father shouldn't be home, just only Nunnally and maybe Euphemia. However, every time he thought he wasn't at home, he, in reality, was. Charles was very complicated when it came to work.

"Maybe... You can decide. I honestly don't have anything else better to do. And, maybe, this can be considered as a date?"

"That was my intention." Suzaku grinned, and he pulled away just enough to put the spare helmet in Lelouch's hands. "Do we have a few hours? I want to show you one of my favorite places." He swung his leg over the bike to sit on it.

Lelouch smiled softly as he moved to sit behind Suzaku. "Yeah... I would like that." It was a nice change of pace today. Though he was irritated because of the rumors, Suzaku always made him feel better.

Suzaku smiled under his helmet, and the bike roared out of the lot. The weather was cooling down, regular as the seasons were, and some of the trees were starting to lose their leaves, making the drive prettier as they made their way out of the city and deeper into a web of country roads. They passed through a town, where Suzaku stopped to get them ice cream for the hell of it. After fifteen more minutes of driving, they were in the mountains.

The bike was parked on the side of a disused road, thick with trees, and Suzaku took the keys and his bag with him, holding Lelouch's hand to guide him up the trails. "It's only a little further, I promise," he laughed. He looked boyish when he was this happy; his eyes bright and his smile wide enough to give him dimples.

Lelouch was slightly hesitant, but he held on Suzaku's hand tightly and followed him through the forest trails. Their drive was definitely a surprise, since he thought he was going to take him to the park or something, but it was very relieving to be caught off guard.

"I'm not in a rush but... Where are we going?" Lelouch grinned at Suzaku, whom was reassuring him and looking very natural doing so. He was never with a Japanese male before, only the rich Americans at his home, but it was very nice for a change.

"My fort. Bear with me." Suzaku held a branch aside for Lelouch to pass through, and he steadied him when they crossed uneven ground. "My parents used to take me here when I was little, but not anymore. I only found it again a few months ago, so I come here whenever I just don't want to go home." He kept a good pace so Lelouch wouldn't get tired, and was daring enough to pick him up in his arms toward the end of the walk.

Lelouch yelled when he noticed someone picking him up, yet calmed down when it was Suzaku holding him. He lightly punched him on his left shoulder, then smiled. "Well I'm glad that you trust me enough to take me there." And he was very grateful for that, that Suzaku trusted him. That was important to him.

Suzaku laughed and carried him the rest of the way, which was easy, seeing as Lelouch was even lighter than he had expected. "Tah-dah."

The "fort" was an old shed in the woods. It looked like someone had repaired it recently, with new support beams and unrusted nails at the corners. That probably accounted for the new callouses on Suzaku's hands. Suzaku nudged the door open with his shoulder, and he set Lelouch down at an old metal picnic table at the floor of the small space. There was a short ladder up to a second level, containing only a small pile of blankets and an empty bag of chips, and then a closed space with a locked door as the room under it. The windows were open, and the curtains were sun-bleached and tattered, but dry and free of mold. It was quiet and safe, and Suzaku seemed proud.

He stared at the shed with awe and looked around. Everything was handmade and it was much more than he thought it was. It shed had live in it because of the small things, the curtains, the picnic table, and the blankets. The smell of the woods filled the air, which was very pleasant. Lelouch smiled as he walked around. "Did you do all of this?"

"Not all of it." Suzaku sat down on one of the bottom rungs of the ladder, smiling and leaning back, satisfied and trying to be modest. "The foundation was already here. I had to reinforce it a lot when I found it again, so it's sturdy now." His smile faltered into something shy. "Do you like it?"

"I do, I never seen something like this before." Lelouch stood across from him and smiled softly, placing his hands in Suzaku's hair. "And do you stay here often? Because it looks like that you do." Though it was nice, he was worried that Suzaku didn't get the things that he need like food or the essentials.

"Sometimes. I only spend the night here if my father's very upset with me." Suzaku felt childish for opening up this much, but he couldn't focus very well with Lelouch so close to him. All he could do was smile like an idiot. "It's nice here, though. And...there's a lake."

Lelouch's eyes brightened when he heard the word 'lake'. Though he had to be careful. As much as he was longing to swim in the water, health regulations were still important. All though... "...Can I see the lake? Please?" Going to the lake would also help Suzaku to get the topic off of his father.

"Of course." Suzaku grinned wide and stood up again, taking Lelouch by the hand and leading him back out of the shed. He was so eager to please him. "It's really clean, too. No waste runs into it or anything, and people hardly come visit it, so there's virtually no pollution."

"Good, that's was what I was worried about actually." Lelouch smiled slightly as he followed Suzaku outside. "Have you seen any animals here yet? Maybe turtles or foxes?" Lelouch was always interested in animals, since he was raised in the city.

"Yeah, those and deer. A ton of birds and rabbits, too." Suzaku walked Lelouch down a slope, past maples and elms, and then trotted out on the grass next to the lake. "Do you want to swim? I do it all the time."

"That's why I'm here." Lelouch began to take his uniform off, yet blushed slightly as he walked behind a large tree trunk. After he changed, went to the edge of the lake and dived in, then went underwater for a moment before he only allowed his head to show. Lelouch's hair fanned around his face and eyes, so he had to move his hair out of the way before he smiled. "You can get in too, Suzaku."

Suzaku grinned back at him, already unbuttoning his shirt. He didn't bring a swimsuit, so he'd just have to swim in boxers like a real man. "Isn't it nice?" He kicked off his shoes and then his pants, stepped up onto a long, flat rock that jutted into the water, and he ran and dove off. He stayed down for a while, swam up quietly under the surface, and grabbed Lelouch's ankles.

Lelouch yelped and dove under the water with wide eyes until he saw Suzaku. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he swam close to Suzaku to pull on his nose and on his ears with a small smile.

Suzaku ended up laughing underwater, losing a bubble of air, and he grabbed Lelouch's hand and kicked off the floor of the lake to bring them back to the surface. "You're cute, you know that?" he laughed, wiping water and a curl of hair from his eyes.

Lelouch blushed as he moved his hair to the back of his ear. "...Thank you. I've never was called cute when I use to date." He glanced at the water for a moment, then turned his attention on the land when he saw a family of turtles entering the water. "...This is my first relationship after three months, but I'm glad that I found someone like you. So thank you, for giving me a chance. I know that I was sudden earlier today..."

"It was sudden for me, too. But I liked it." Suzaku smiled, shy again, and he glanced down at the surface of the water. "I knew I liked you, so I was really happy when you... I want this to work."

"I'm glad." He smiled brightly and swam closer to Suzaku. Knowing that Suzaku wanted this relationship to work really made him confident. "I want this to work out too... This might be going too fast, but can I kiss you?"

"You don't have to ask." Suzaku laughed under his breath, took Lelouch's hand, and touched their lips together. It was soft, but not hesitant, as sweet as Suzaku would make a first kiss while they tread water together.

His eyes slowly closed as he returned Suzaku's kiss, then he wrapped his arms around his neck for a closer hold. The kiss was making his mouth warm and his body was bursting with heat from Suzaku's returning kiss. When they broke apart, Lelouch fluttered his eyes open and laughed. "You're a romantic... I didn't expect this."

Holy mother of god, Lelouch's mouth was soft. Suzaku was stuck on that thought for several seconds, and grinned at him when he opened his eyes again. "Is that okay?" He'd never kissed a boy before. He'd never actually been this close to a boy before, and it made his chest warm.

"No it's fine, I usually predict everything, but the change of pace is really nice. You surprise me, and I like it." Lelouch smile turned into a grin as he leaned his head on Suzaku's chest. "So did you like it? Your first kiss with a boy I mean..."

Lelouch touching his bare chest crippled Suzaku's vocabulary for a moment, his only available word being "uh-huh." He smiled and brushed Lelouch's hair back, playing his fingers through it, and he tiptoed them back toward the slope of the shore. This was undoubtedly the most memorable kiss he'd had yet. "Was...this your first kiss with a guy?"

"No, though I don't know if you want to know how many boys I've been with. Fortunately, I never had sex with any of them." Lelouch slowly blinked his eyes and noticed that they were moving. "How many girls have you been with, Suzaku?"

"Three, but no sex, either." Suzaku settled them against a rock by the shore, just so they wouldn't have to tread water and wear themselves out so fast. He was avoiding Lelouch's gaze, embarrassed and inexperienced.

"Well good." Lelouch slowly glanced at Suzaku's eyes, and then smiled. "If our relationship gets far enough... I want you to be my first time. I know that it's much, but I believe that we will be together for a long time."

Suzaku's breath caught, and he bit the corner of his lip to reign in his expression. Lelouch was here and beautiful and so sweet, and here he was already talking about sex.

"I want us to stay together, too." He leaned in and kissed Lelouch's cheek, smiling and speaking softly. "But we don't have to decide anything just yet, alright? It's still early."

"I know... It was just a thought." Lelouch nuzzled his nose in Suzaku's neck and sighed. "I tend to think far ahead, I'm sorry—"

"Master Lelouch!" Lelouch jerked his head and stared at the land next to them with wide eyes as Jeremiah sprinted from the forest. When he saw Lelouch and Suzaku together, his yellow eyes narrowed as he went into his jacket and pointed the gun at the Japanese teen. "Step away from him!"

"Dammit Jeremiah _stop_." Lelouch tore his hands away from Suzaku and walked on the shore in his bathing suit. "He didn't do anything to me, so just leave him alone."

"Yes...I apologize..." The young guard placed his weapon in his jacket away, while Lelouch went to his belongings. He grabbed a towel and went to Suzaku.

"I'm sorry, it seems that my mother placed a tracking chip in my phone or in my clothes. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Suzaku was pale and shaken, having just had a gun pointed at him, but he stood and pulled on his pants over his soaked boxers. Once he gathered that Jeremiah was under control, he attempted a smile. "Hello."

"What were you doing with Master Lelouch?" Jeremiah continued to be stone faced with Suzaku, yet Lelouch walked aside of his mother's guard and sighed.

"Jeremiah, leave Suzaku alone. He's with me."

"Master Lelouch, you mother was frantically worried along with your father. I'm here to return you home."

"I thought she was going on a trip today."

"She decided to wait and to see you before she went off. She canceled the appointment because you went missing. Your father is upset-"

"I can careless on what my father thinks." Lelouch changed his clothes into a red jacket and black pants, then wrapped his arms around Suzaku's right limb. "Jeremiah, this is my new boyfriend."

"B-But Master Lelouch," Jeremiah was slightly pale, yet he was still standing firm. "Your father won't be pleased-"

"It doesn't matter. I'm sure you can get the car ready, so do that."

"...Yes." At that moment, Jeremiah bowed and left their area. Lelouch smiled a bit before turning towards Suzaku. "I'm sorry about that..."

Lelouch's dad was going to kill him. _His_ dad was going to kill him. Suzaku was going to be killed by dads. His head was spinning, and his stomach was trying to crawl away, but he smiled and hooked his arm with Lelouch's anyway.

"It's alright. I'm sorry I got you in trouble. I didn't know they'd come looking for you like that." He sounded ashamed, calm as he was trying to be.

"No you're fine." Lelouch sighed, but stopped. He unlinked arms with Suzaku and stood in front of him. "Listen... Everyone nearly knows about us. Our relationship is complicated because of our fathers, however I'm willing to be open with it. Like I said, my family already knows that I'm a homosexual... Maybe if you can talk to them...You can be ok? It's not impossible..."

"You don't know my father," Suzaku blurted in a scraped whisper before he could stop himself. He looked down to the grass and shook his head. "I'm willing to be open with it, too, but I can't promise it'll be okay. Your father will be furious with me, and mine... I don't know what he'll do." Not to mention the media. Investors and gay rights activists alike would freak at the news that the sons of two different trade tycoons were together.

"Suzaku... You said yourself that your father doesn't care about you. I can tell that he doesn't. You don't have anywhere to stay but you're sheltered and in a cage at your own home. You can be adopted in my family. You can tell the media about what your father does behind everyone's back and you can make the Kururugi Trade cease to exist. You said yourself that you don't want any part of it anymore." Lelouch grabbed Suzaku's hand and stared in his eyes with harden resolve. "I want to do this for you. And I can convince my father otherwise."

This was...beyond anything Suzaku had ever expected anyone to do for him, and this was coming from the boy he'd only known for two weeks. He was cautious, but held onto Lelouch's hand and watched his eyes.

In truth, this would benefit Britannia Inc more than anything: such public humiliation for the Kururugi Trade would be crippling, and if they decided to hide Lelouch's involvement with him anyway, they could just throw Suzaku out to the wolves after fabricating some new offense of his. It would be all too easy to destroy Suzaku's whole future, if Lelouch wasn't earnest about this.

Then again, Suzaku had always been too trusting. "Are you sure?" he asked, trying not to sound meek. "I can't ask you to do something like that. I can stay in the dorms, or... He might not even kick me out."

Lelouch's eyes turned a shade darker as his grip on Suzaku's hand tightened. "I know what I want to do and I know that you're father doesn't care about you. My father is easy to convince, so I know it's not that difficult. But I can't force you to go along with it. I'll let you choose." And hopefully, Suzaku would choose to live with him.

He though it was right to fall in love with Suzaku. He was kind, sweet, and he was a hard worker, yet he didn't deserve any of the treatment that he did with his father. And, with a boy that never talked about his dad, he knew that he didn't get along with him. Lelouch got along with his dad, but it was usually because of business and because of Lelouch's mother. But he knew he wanted to help Suzaku to do things like he wanted to do and to have a roof over his head while he did so.

This wasn't fair. It was too much to ask of someone, too much for him to ever repay. Suzaku worried his lip and finally mumbled, "We'll see how they react. We can't decide anything yet." He pulled away to finish getting dressed, though he did want to be alone. It wasn't that he was upset with Lelouch, but that his fear of his father was cutting him down. "I should get my bike. Your butler probably wants you to ride back with him."

"...All right. I'll see you later then." Lelouch understood that he needed space. It was a big decision and he knew that it would take time to work on a nerve. Without saying anything more, he grabbed the remaining of his belongings before he went into the forest without looking back.


End file.
